Watch out for common Halloween hazards for pets

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If you think your pet has eaten any of these Halloween treats, call the Pet Poison Helpline, $39 per call, at (800) 213-6680

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Common Halloween hazards for pets are chocolate, candy and raisins.

Chocolate: Of all candies, chocolate poses the biggest Halloween “threat” to dogs. Many dogs are attracted to the smell of chocolate, making it a significant threat for massive ingestion. The darker and more bitter the chocolate, the more poisonous it is. Methylxanthines are the chemicals in chocolate that are dangerous to pets, and they are more concentrated in darker chocolates. A single ounce of Baker’s chocolate can make a 50-pound dog very sick. Milk chocolate and white chocolate are less dangerous, but should still be kept out of the reach of pets. If you think your dog may have ingested chocolate, signs to watch for include vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, agitation, increased thirst, an elevated heart rate and in severe cases, seizures.

Candy and sweets overindulgence: Candy and other sweet foods — especially those containing poisonous xylitol — can also be poisonous to pets. Signs include a decreased appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, abdominal pain, and potentially kidney or organ damage.

Raisins: Mini-boxes of raisins are dangerous. Dogs can experience kidney failure after ingesting very small amounts of raisins (including similar products with grapes and currants too). For this reason, any ingestion should be treated as a potential poisoning. Signs of raisin or grape poisoning include vomiting, nausea, decreased appetite, lethargy, abdominal pain, excessive or decreased thirst and urination, bad breath, and rapid onset kidney failure.